Creel for automatic winding machine

ABSTRACT

This creel is adapted to support large diameter active and reserve supply packages at each winding station of an automatic winding machine in which the stations are spaced apart in such close relationship that rotation of the large diameter supply packages between the reserve and active position could not take place at adjacent winding stations without interfering with each other. At alternate winding stations the supply packages are supported at a relatively low position while the supply packages at intervening winding stations are supported at a higher level so that they pass above the level of the supply packages at the alternate winding stations.

United States Patent Morton 1 Aug. 5, 1975 CREEL FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath [75] Inventor: Alfred L. Morton, Ranlo NC. Attorney, Agent, or FzrmParr0tt, Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson [73] Assignee: Pharr Yarns, Incorporated,

McAdenville, NC.

[22] Filed: June 18, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT App]. No.: 480,570

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Italy 242/131 This creel is adapted to support large diameter active and reserve supply packages at each winding station of an automatic winding machine in which the stations are spaced apart in such close relationship that rotation of the large diameter supply packages between the reserve and active position could not take place at adjacent winding stations without interfering with each other. At alternate winding stations the supply packages are supported at a relatively low position while the supply packages at intervening winding stations are supported at a higher level so that they pass above the level of the supply packages at the alternate winding stations.

SHEET PATENTEU B 75 CREEL FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE This invention relates generally to an improved creel for automatic winding machines and more particularly to an improved creel which premits a reserve and active supply package of relatively large diameter to be positioned at each of the winding stations of the winding machine.

The creel of the present inventin is particularly applicable to automatic winding machines of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,764,362, issued Sept. 25, 1956 to W. V. Goodhue et al. and US. Pat. No. 3,081,045, issued Mar. 12, 1963 T. E. Pitts et al. This type of winding machine is provided with means for automatically repairing broken ends which occur during the winding operation and also for tying in new yarns when the supply of yarn from the active supply package is exhausted. The automatic winding machine with which the creel of the present invention is disclosed is of the type generally known as the UNICONER automatic cone winder manufactured by Leesona Corporation, of Cranston, Rhode Island.

In order to provide the maximum number of winding stations along each side of the frame of this machine, the winding stations are spaced close together and each station is provided with means for winding yarn from an active supply package onto a take-up package and for detecting the exhaustion of yarn on the active supply package. Upon detection of the exhaustion of the yarn form the active supply package, a reserve supply package is rotated out of active position and the exhausted supply package is rotated out of active position. The reserve packages and the active package are supported on a creel stand which is mounted for rotation at each winding station and the creel stand is normally adapted to support three reserve supply packages and an active supply package, spaced in 90 relationship to each other and supported on the arms of the creel stand. The supply packages are of relatively small diameter, on the order of about two inches, and are of the type which are produced on conventional spinning frames.

In recent times, it has become popular to produce yarn on open-endto spinning frames which produce relatively large diameter take-up packages, on the order of about nine inches. Because of the close spacing of the winding stations and the large diameter, these open-end spinning packages cannot be used as the supply packages on this type of automatic winding machine. In the conventional creel stand is enlarged to receive two or four of these relatively large diameter open-end spinning packages, there is not sufficient clearance between adjacent winding stations for the supply packages to be rotated or indexed, as one supply package becomes exhausted and a reserve package is moved in position to supply yarn.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a creel for supporting large diameter reserve and active open-end spinning supply packages and which creel may be indexed to present a reserve supply package to active position upon exhaustion of the yarn on the active supply package, without interfering with the automatic indexing of the supply packages at adjacent winding stations.

In accordance with the present invention, the large diameter open-end spinning packages at adjacent winding stations are supported at different levels so that they may be rotated or indexed without interfering with each other. Thus, in an automatic winding machine having a plurality of closely spaced winding stations along at least one side of the machine, first rotatable yarn package support means is provided at alternate winding stations and at a relatively low level to support large diameter reserve and active supply packages. Second rotatable yarn package support means is provided at intervening winding stations and at a level above the level of the first rotatable yarn package support means at the alternate winding station so that the rotation of the large diameter supply packages at adjacent windin g stations will not interfere with each other. With the improved creel of the present invention, it is thus possible to use an automatic winding machine of the type which was initially manufactured to wind yarn from relatively small suupply packages to wind yarn from relatively large diameter open-end spinning packages.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of one side of the automatic winding machine and showing a pair of closely spaced adjacent yarn winding stations with the improved creel of the present invention associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view looking at the righthand end of FIG. 1; ,j

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and illustrating the relative size and positions of the reserve and active supply packages at adjacent winding stations as they are sup ported by the improved creel of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view illustrating the indexing mechanism for the yarn supply creel.

The improved creel of the present invention is illustrated in association with an automatic winding machine of the type known as the UNICONER winder which is provided with a plurality of identical winding stations, only two of which are illustrated in FIG. 1. The winding stations are positioned relatively close together and are equally spaced along at least one side of the machine. Only those portions of the winding machine have been illustrated which are necessary to an understanding of the operation of the present creel and a more complete description of the other parts of the machine may be obtained from the aforementioned patents.

The machine includes a longitudinally extending main frame 10 and a package support frame 11 which extends along the lower front of one side of the machine. Closely spaced winding stations are provided along the machine and are described as alternate or first winding stations W-l, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1, and intervening or second winding stations W-2. Since the adjacent winding stations W-l and W-2 are identical, except for the position of the yarn package support means at these adjacent stations, only the winding station W-2 will be described in detail and the corresponding parts of the winding station W-l will bear the same reference characters.

Each winding station includes means for winding yarn from an active supply package and onto a take-up package 12 which is supported for movement into and out of driving relationship with a yarn traversing drive roll 13. In its path of travel upwardly to the yarn traversing drive roll 13, the yarn Y being wound passes over a yarn feeler wire 14 (FIG. 2) which remains in a lowered position as long as the yarn continues to pass upwardly thereover.

The yarn Y also passes over the upper inclined surface of a housing 15 and through a wax applicator 16, a slub catcher 17, a yarn sensor 18 and a yarn tension post 19, which are each supported on the upper surface of the housing 15. The yarn feeler wire 14 and the yarn sensor 18 provide means at each station for detecting the exhaustion of yarn on an active supply package, and in a manner to be presently described.

Means is also provided for presenting a reserve supply package to active position for winding the take-up package 12 upon exhaustion of the active supply package, which means is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and will be presently described. A supply end finding suction tube 20 is supported at each winding station and cooperates with a knot tier 21 in repairing broken ends in the yarn being wound and also ties in new supplies when the active supply package is exhausted.

A reserve end holding suction opening 25 is provided in the inclined upper surface of the housing 15 (FIG. 1). The reserve end holding opening 25 is suitably conected to a source of suction and holds the free end of the yarn from the reserve package therein, once it is placed therein by the operator. The yarn passes over a wire guide 26 which extends around to the front of the housing 15 (FIG. 1) and provides means for guiding the yarn as the reserve package is indexed to the front or active winding position, in a manner to be presently described.

The means for presenting a reserve supply package to active position for winding onto the take-up package upon exhaustion of the yarn on the active supply pack age includes a horizontal drive shaft 30 which is drivingly connected with a vertical drive shaft 31 by bevel gears 32, 33 (FIG. 2). The vertical drive shaft 31 is rotatably supported inside of a tubular shaft or creel drive sleeve 34 which supports the present improved creel, in a manner to be presently described. The upper end of the drive shaft 31 and sleeve 34 extend into the housing 15 (FIG. 4) and the vertical drive shaft 31 extends upwardly beyond the upper end of the sleeve 34 and has a drive gear 35 fixed thereto. A stop plate 36 is fixed to the upper end of the sleeve 34 and is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed abutments 37, 38 (FIG. 5) which are adapted to stop rotation of the sleeve 34, in a manner to be presently described. A clutch plate 40 is pivotally supported as at 41 on the stop plate 36 and has diametrically opposed abutments 42, 43 extending outwardly therefrom. An upstanding drive lug 44 is provided on one side of the clutch plate 40. An upstanding spring perch 45 is also provided on the clutch plate 40 and supports one end ofa spring 46, the other end of which is secured to an upstanding spring perch 47 on the stop plate 36.

A support plate 50 is fixed in spaced relationship above the lower wall of the housing 15 and surrounds the upper end of the tubular sleeve 34. A stop latch 51 is pivotally supported on the support plate 50. The latch 51 is normally maintained in the position shown in FIG. 5 by a tension spring 52 and is provided with a latch trigger 53 which is normally urged into the position shown in FIG. 5 by a torsion spring 54. An operating arm 55 is provided on the latch 51 and extends outwardly therefrom. An actuating hub 56 is supported for oscillation on a stub shaft 57 and is normally urged against a boss 58 by a compression spring 59 surrounding the stub shaft 57. The other end of the stub shaft 57 is fixed in a downwardly extending bracket 60 which is fixed at its upper end to the housing 15.

The upper portion of the actuator hub 56 is provided with a cam surface closely spaced beneath a fixed operator pin 62, the upper end of which is fixed in the housing 15. The lower end of the pin is engaged by an upstanding cam 63 when oscillation is imparted to the actuating hub 56 in a clockwise direction in FIG. 5 so as to cause the actuating hub 56 to shift axially along the stub shaft 57 and against the compression spring 59. The lower end of a vertically movable plunger pin 64 normally rides above the cam surface of the actuating hub 56 and is supported by the yarn Y passing through a slot 65 in a weighted plunger 66 (FIG. 4) which forms a part of the yarn sensor 18.

When the yarn Y does not support the plunger 66 and the vertically movable pin 64, it may drop down onto the cam surface of the hub and then into a cut out to engage a cam surface 70 on the actuating hub 56. The pin 64 imparts additional axial movement from right to left in FIG. 4 along the stub shaft 57 and this additional axial movement is of such a magnitude that an actuator cam 72 engages the operating arm 55 to move the latch 51 out of engagement with the abutments 37 and 42 on the stop plate 36 and clutch plate 40.

One end of an operating link 73 is fixed to the actuating hub 56 and its other end is operated by conventional mechanism, not shown, and in response to detection by the yarn feeler wire 14 that no yarn is passing thereover and to the take-up package 12. When this absence of yarn is detected, motion will be imparted to the operating link 73 to oscillate the actuating hub in a clockwise direction in FIG. 5 and the hub 56 will be shifted axially from right to left in FIG. 4 as the fixed pin 62 engages the cam surface 63. If the yarn Y is supporting the sensor plunger 66, the lower end of the movable pin 64 will not move down into the cut out and will not engage the cam surface 70 so that the actuator cam 72 will not engage the operating arm 55 and the latch 51 will not be released. In this event, the supply end finding suction tube 20 will be actuated to find the broken end and retie it so that the winding operation can be resumed, without changing the active yarn supply package for a reserve package since yarn will still be present in the detector 18.

On the other hand, if the yarn Y is not supporting the plunger 66 when the actuating hub 56 is oscillated, the lower end of the movable pin 64 will drop down into the cut out and engage the cam 70 so that additional axial movement will be imparted to the actuating hub 56. This additional axial movement is of sufficient magnitude that the autuator cam 72 will engage the operating arm 55 and move the latch 51 out of engagement with the abutments 37 and 42, thereby releasing the clutch so that the spring 46 can move the drive lug 44 into engagement with the teeth of the drive gear 35 and impart a 180 rotation to the sleeve 34, until the abutments 38, 43 again engage the latch 51. A manually operated control wire 75 is connected at its inner end to the latch 51 and extends outside of the housing 15 so that the operator may manually trip the clutch mechanism and rotate the drive sleeve 34, when desired.

The parts of the winding machine heretofore described are conventional and it is with this type of winding machine that the improved creel of the present invention will be described. The improved creel is adapted to support large diameter active and reserve supply packages at each of the winding stations and these supply packages are of the type which are normally produced on an open-end spinning frame. These supply packages are approximately 9 inches in diame ter, approximately three inches from top to bottom and weigh approximately three pounds. The active and reserve supply packages at the first or alternate winding station W-1 are indicated respectively at A-1 and R-l while the corresponding packages at the second or intervening winding station W-2 are indicated at A-2 and R-2.

First rotatable yarn package support means is positioned at the alternate winding stations W-l and at a relatively low position on the tubular drive sleeve 34 and is operable to rotate the reserve package R-l to an active position upon exhaustion of the yarn on the active package A-l. This first rotatable yarn package support means comprises a straight cross-bar or arm 80 which has an upstanding hub 81 surrounding the sleeve 34 and fixed thereto so that when rotation is imparted to the sleeve 34, the same rotation will be imparted to the cross-bar 80. Upstanding package support studs 82, 83 are fixed on the outer ends of the cross-bar 80 and support the respective supply packages A-1 and R-l.

A yarn control corss-bar 85 is fixed on the upper portion of the tubular sleeve 34 and extends outwardly in opposite directions therefrom and supports yarn guide 86 and 87 on the medial portions thereof and pivoted yarn guide latches 88, 89 on the outer ends thereof. The yarn Y from the active supply package A l extends upwardly therefrom (FIG. 2) and passes through the yarn guide eye 86, over the yarn guide wire 26, through the yarn tension post 19, through the yarn sensor 18, the slub catcher 17, the wax applicator 16, over the yarn feeler wire 14, over the driving yarn traversing roll 13 and is wound onto the take-up package 12. The reserve package R-2 is placed on the support stud 83 by the operator when an empty package has been moved to the rearmost position. The yarn Y is threaded upwardly through the guide eye 87, over the pivoted guide latch 89, over the guide wire 26, and into the yarn holder opening 25 so that it is in position to be automatically directed around into active position and to be tied to the trailing end of the yarn of the active supply package.

Second rotatable yarn package support means is positioned at the intervening winding stations W-2 and at a level above the level of the first yarn packages at the alternate winding station W-l so that rotation of the large diameter supply packages at adjacent winding stations will not interfere with each other, as would occur, if they were each positioned at the same level at adjacent stations. The dash-dot semicircular line 90 in FIG. 3 clearly indicates that the reserve package R-2 would engage the active package A-l if these two packages were supported at the same level. The second rotatable yarn package support means comprises a straight crossbar or arm 91, which is provided with an upstanding support hub fixed on the sleeve 34. Upstanding package support studs 92, 93 are fixed on opposite ends of cross-bar 91 for supporting the respective active and reserve supply packages A-2 and R-2. A yarn control cross-bar 95 is fixed on the upper portion of the sleeve 34 and above the yarn package support cross-bar 91 and supports yarn guide eyes 96, 97 on the medial portions thereof and yarn guide pivot latches 98, 99 on the outer ends thereof (FIG. 3).

By providing a creel including support means for supporting the reserve and active supply packages in a horizontally staggered relationship at adjacent winding stations, large diameter opening-end spinning packages may be wound on the UNlCONER" winding machine which is normally adapted to wind only small diameter packages of the type produced by a conventional spinning frame. When either of the active supply packages A-1 and A-2 are exhausted of yarn, the machine atutomatically indexes automatically corresponding package support cross-bars 80, 91, so that the corresponding reserve package R-l or R-2 is moved to the front of the machine and the empty cone moves to the rear of the creel. The operator then replaces the empty cone on the rear support with a filled reserve package and threads up the leading end into the end holding opening 25 in the upper end of the inclined plate of the housing 15.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

That which is claimed is:

1. In an automatic winding machine including a plurality of winding stations equally spaced along at least one side of said machine and means for winding yarn from an active supply package and onto a take-up package at each of said winding stations, means at each station for detecting the exhaustion of yarn on a active supply package, and means for presenting a reserve supply package to active position for winding onto said take-up package upon exhaustion of the active supply package, the combination therewith of an improved creel for supporting large diameter active and reserve supply packages at each of said winding stations, said creel comprising a. first rotatable yarn package support means positioned at alternate winding stations and at a predetermined level below said corresponding take-up package and being operable to rotate the reserve package to an active position upon exhaustion of the yarn on the active package,

b. second rotatable yarn package support means positioned at intervening winding stations and at a level above the level of the upper ends of the active and reserve supply packages supported on said first rotatable yarn package support means at said alternate winding stations so that rotation of the large diameter supply packages at adjacent winding stations will not interfere with each other, and

c. a yarn control cross-bar supported on each of said first and second rotatable yarn package support means and being rotatable therewith, said yarn control cross-bars being positioned at the same level at both said alternate and said intervening winding stations and including yarn guiding means carried thereby for directing yarns from said re serve and active supply packages to said winding stations.

2. In an apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second rotatable yarn package support means each comprise a straight cross-bar supporting an active supply package on one end and a reserve supply package on the other end, said cross-bar being rotated upon exhaustion of the active supply package to present the reserve supply package in active position.

: PATENT NO.

DATED INVENTOR(S) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION August 5, 1975 Alfred L. Morton It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, Column 1, Column 1, Column 1, Column 1, Column 1, Column 1, Column 2, Column 2, Column 3, Column 4,

Column 5, Column 5, Column 5, Column 5, Column 6, Column 6,

Line 4, change "premits" to --permits; Line 8, change "inventin" to -invention; Line 12, after "1963" insert to;

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the;

8, after "pin" insert 62;

IN THE CLAIMS:

Column 6, Line 31,

[SEAL] "83" is not in bold print;

change corss" to "crossafter "guide" insert eyes-;

after "yarn", "of" should be on;

change "atutomatically" to -automatically; delete "automatically" and insert in lieu thereof "a" to an.

Signed and Scaled this ninth D ay Of December 1 9 75 change A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON A [resting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner oj'PatenIs and Trademarks 

1. In an automatic winding machine including a plurality of winding stations equally spaced along at least one side of said machine and means for winding yarn from an active supply package and onto a take-up package at each of said winding stations, means at each station for detecting the exhaustion of yarn on a active supply package, and means for presenting a reserve supply package to active position for winding onto said take-up package upon exhaustion of the active supply package, the combination therewith of an improved creel for supporting large diameter active and reserve supply packages at each of said winding stations, said creel comprising a. first rotatable yarn package support means positioned at alternate winding stations and at a predetermined level below said corresponding take-up package and being operable to rotate the reserve package to an active position upon exhaustion of the yarn on the active package, b. second rotatable yarn package support means positioned at intervening winding stations and at a level above the level of the upper ends of the active and reserve supply packages supported on said first rotatable yarn package support means at said alternate winding stations so that rotation of the large diameter supply packages at adjacent winding stations will not interfere with each other, and c. a yarn control cross-bar supported on each of said first and second rotatable yarn package support means and being rotatable therewith, said yarn control cross-bars being positioned at the same level at both said alternate and said intervening winding stations and including yarn guiding means carried thereby for directing yarns from said reserve and active supply packages to said winding stations.
 2. In an apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second rotatable yarn package support means each comprise a straight cross-bar supporting an active supply package on one end and a reserve supply package on the other end, said cross-bar being rotated 180* upon exhaustion of the active supply package to present the reserve supply package in active position. 